The Primary and Secondary Education Ministry has upped its proactive initiative to thwart menstrual abseentism in schools countrywide.
The move flies in the face of reports that majority rural girls were absconding school due to period poverty.
The Ministry’s Director of Communication and Advocacy Mr Taungana Ndoro said a raft of measures has since been put in place to curb period poverty.
“There is production of five million pads annually by local women’s cooperatives, boosting rural economies to assist our cause.
“We also have partnerships with development partners to ensure supply chain resilience.
“We also providing private changing rooms with water, soap and disposal bins built in 8 000 rural schools.
“Solar-powered incinerators for eco-friendly pad disposal deployed in 50 percent of boarding schools,” said Mr Ndoro.
He said such initiatives by the Ministry has led to a reduction of 72 percent in menstruation-related absenteeism in over 12 000 schools.
“We have also had training of 20 000 teachers as Menstrual Hygiene Management champions.
“The Ministry has a target of 100 percent WASH-compliant schools.
“Menstrual health education has been embedded in Primary and Secondary school Life Skills syllabi (grades 4 to 7 and Form 1 to 4),” he said
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